Next Stage Collaborative – a collaboration between University of Colorado Denver’s Colorado Building Workshop and Denver Performing Arts Complex.
This space was designed and renovated by the students and faculty of Colorado Building Workshop. In collaboration with Denver Arts and Venues, this space further supports their mission to enhance Denver’s quality of life through premier public venues, artworks, and entertainment by becoming a platform to showcase student work — something rarely seen by the public.
To best utilize the facility, students created a clean, versatile exhibition space that accommodates two different programmatic zones: the first, an entry space where guests are greeted by information about the current exhibition, and the second, the exhibition space itself. The two zones have been articulated through subtle gestures in ceiling height variation and lighting strategies.
Since 1991, the Department of Architecture’s Design Build Program has served the broader community by partnering with non-profit organizations on a variety of innovative projects. The programming centers on the practical application of architectural theory, and promotes a blend of hands-on skills, creative design, and cutting-edge materials to construct buildings for communities in need.
The MH Companies is pleased to have played an integral role in the Next Stage Collaborative. We worked closely with the students in the CU College of Architecture and Planning Design Build Program to assist with the lighting design. And, since the program relies almost entirely on donations of building supplies, we reached out to our manufacturers for product donations. Inter-Lux, Bruck Lighting, and Beulux came through with donations of energy-efficient LED products. Through our involvement with this program, we were able to give the students a practical working knowledge and deeper understanding of how lighting design and product specification plays an integral role in the success of a project.
